19970331012359I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Pensacola, FL · March 31, 1997

Date: March 31, 1997 · 14:17 local
Place: Pensacola, FL
Airport: Pensacola Regional Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: KRTA
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N25680
Reported as: Piper PA38112
Reported engine: Lycoming O235L2C
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 15,000 total25 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days

N25680Registration cancelled Jul 27, 2002 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-81A0052 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23)Flight check for newly overhauled engine with pilot and mechanic on board. All ground run-up was good. Immediately after takeoff the engine lost 100 rmp but never quit. Pilot elected to land straight ahead into Pensacola bay. Results engine teardown were negative. Carburetor teardown inspection revealed float 30/1000 too high and total float travel too great. Result would be lean condition. Total time since overhaul for both engine and carburetor is approximately twenty-five minutes.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)FLIGHT CHECK FOR NEWLY OVERHAULED ENGINE WITH PILOT AND MECHANIC ON BOARD. ALL GROUND RUN-UP WAS GOOD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE LOST 100 RMP BUT NEVER QUIT. PILOT ELECTED TO LAND STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO PENSACOLA BAY. RESULTS ENGINE TEARDOWN WERE NEGATIVE. CARBURETOR TEARDOWN INSPECTION REVEALED FLOAT 30/1000 TOO HIGH AND TOTAL FLOAT TRAVEL TOO GREAT. RESULT WOULD BE LEAN CONDITION. TOTAL TIME SINCE OVERHAUL FOR BOTH ENGINE AND CARBURETOR IS APPROXIMATELY TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES.